The Art of Healing
by DreamsInMyHeart16
Summary: Zuko finds that being Fire Lord wasn't as simple as he thought it would be, well, maybe he knew but didn't get the full picture of it. Aang decides he wants to take his friend out for a vacation to travel the world. ZukoxOC
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer:**_

_I do not own ATLA or its characters  
><em>

_**Claimer**:_

_I do own Sayen, Yunru, Taipa, and Achak.  
><em>

_**Summary**_:

__Zuko finds that being Fire Lord wasn't as simple as he thought it would be, well, maybe he knew but didn't get the full picture of it. Aang decides he wants to take his friend out for a vacation, to travel the world. When they go to the North Pole, maybe Zuko finds more than what he bargained for. ZukoxOC__

**_Remember what I state below_****:**

Italics and ' ' Means thinking! The person is talking to themselves, sounds a bit weird, neh? Example: _'Dammit.' _Zuko thought.

_**((**Author Speaking**))**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter One:<strong>_

_Familiar Voices  
><em>

* * *

><p>Sitting at his marble-oak wooden desk, the Fire Lord peered down at his paper work with utter disgust. He was tired of this. He was tired of hearing bickering old men all day. As well as hearing Mai whine about his lack of attention to her and missing his uncle's presence. Zuko was growing sick of this actually. Even when he went to Mai to let out his frustration it was as if his words were not heard and to vent to her was a lost cause. Why couldn't his uncle stay with him? Maybe he wouldn't be bedridden half of the time. Its been four years since he had seen his friends; Aang and Katara were well from the letters he read from them. Suki and Sokka were married and well and Toph, well, she was being Toph and traveling the world. The twenty-year-old sighed as he tried to contemplate what he was going to do to sure assure the Northern Water tribe that he wouldn't hurt them. Why did they feel that way? Well, the South Pole had forgiven him due to Hakoda's help and it became a big deal since their sister tribe had helped built their civilization like a duplicate of theirs. It was now beautiful, large, and prosperous and it always made him smile whenever Katara spoke so highly of it in her letters. Before he could even finish one of the documents that dealt with rebuilding an old foster home, he began having a coughing fit but soon he realized that he was coughing blood. One of the guards came in worried about his Lord and was shocked to see his Lord falling to the floor, holding his stomach as he withered in pain. The Guard ran to his side and called out to his colleagues to get the Fire Lord's doctor immediately.<p>

Two weeks later...

Zuko had a rather large frown on his face as he was told to stay on bed rest due to his ulcer, he also heard that his uncle was on his way to take care of him. The Fire Lord knew he was going to get lectured for taking care of the Fire Nation before his health. Not only was his uncle coming but also his friends, even Ty Lee, was worried and that was sure a shocker. Placing his hand on his head, he groaned as he bit his bottom lip. How was he going to face them? Seeing their worried expressions was definitely going to make him feel guilty and he wasn't sure how he was going to even begin with an apology. Hearing the door open, his amber orbs looked in the direction of which he saw Mai come in. She walked over toward his bed and sat down with a rather bored expression but in a strange way, he could see the worry struggling to reveal itself in her eyes.

"I'm sorry." He began which made Mai's eyebrows furrowed.

"Are you stupid?" She asked him, knowing that she had not expected him to ignore it like he wanted to.

He narrowed his eyes at her but he knew he couldn't retaliate in the worst way, she cared and he loved her and he was stupid for letting his health get to this point. "Yeah." He said in rather calm tone. She shook her head before she spoke again,

"Why didn't you tell me you were sick? I would of helped. And it kind of makes me look like I caused it too. They even started to interrogate me." said Mai, her arms neatly folding in her lap as her eyes stayed glue to him and her face stoic. Zuko couldn't help but smirk.

"Like you would've cared. Well, anytime I get sick they are going to think you might be to blame since that would make you Fire Lady if we were to marry. Or to them, you just might be an Ozai supporter secretly," The Fird Lord said nonchalantly with his eyes focused on the ceiling and nothing more. He could hear Mai scoff at what he said but she couldn't help but half grin either.

Placing her hand on his stomach, she had pat it twice. "Zuko I do care. It is just that you don't cater to me like you use to and I miss that and I know that but you know I'm not an Ozai supporter, I would of been killed you." She said while standing, showing that she was about to take her leave. Zuko couldn't help but gape at what she said._ 'I don't cater to her like I use to! I buy her jewelry and everything, I try my best to please her all the time! What is she talking about!'_He screamed inside his mind but decided to let it go. No. More. Stress. Once she left, he could hear his uncle's voice.

"Hello Mai, you look quite lovely today." He said in his usual charming, aristocrat voice.

"You look dashing yourself, General Iroh." Mai replied with a respectful bow. The old man had came in with a smile on his face as he looked at his nephew who laid in his overly large bed with many pillows and many sheets.

Iroh sat at the edge of the bed beside him, his smile never wavering. "It has been some time since I last saw you, Fire Lord Zuko. It is most surprising that when I come back home that my nephew has an ulcer and a frown on his face." The Dragon of the West said while the twenty-year-old let out a small sigh before closing his eyes.

"I am sorry that you had to come all the way from Ba Sing Se just to see me like this, it was not my intention to get sick but I love my country more than I love myself. I was too caught up on how I can make the economy better, how to get Ozai's supporters on my side, and help make the Northern Water tribe make a treaty with us and open a trade route. They still do not forgive the Country because of what Zhao did to Chief Arnook's daughter, Yue." explained Zuko as he placed his large palms over his face as he he inhaled deeply and exhaled the same way.

Iroh nodded his head, understanding the complication his nephew faced and he knew that this would happen. He is still young but he knew how hard he would have to work to gain trust that has been lost. He just wished that he did not indulge himself so deep into his problems to the point he was coughing blood. "Nephew, how about you take a vacation? You have been working hard and you are young, you need some time away from home."

"I cannot shirk away from my duties, uncle. You know that." The Fire Lord spat, angered that his uncle would think of such a preposterous idea. He was the Fire Lord, Fire Lords don't need a vacation! Seeing that this was no arguing manner, Iroh decided he would go about this another way by using the Avatar.

"I understand." was the simple answered Zuko heard and he knew by the sound of his uncle's voice that this was not over... Days had passed since then and Zuko began to grow concerned, his uncle had visited him and played Pai Sho as well as served tea. It was quite normal but he couldn't help but question at the bright gleam in his uncle's eye. He knew he had a plan up his sleeve but he just didn't know what.

- : -

"Aw, he's sleeping." said a voice that seemed quite familiar to the young lord, he had fell asleep after the conversation with his uncle about how he had been mailing letters to his friends and it had been sometime since he wrote more, possibly a couple of months. He couldn't attend to any of their birthday parties due to his busy schedule so he didn't know how much they had grown since four years ago and it made him worry that he would possibly never see him again.

"Maybe we should just wait until he wakes up and not watch him sleep." came a masculine voice. Zuko eyes instantly shot open which made the group jump by fear of his wrath and by the sheer shock that he just woke up like that. Sitting up, his mouth opened agape.

"Hello Sparky."

"Toph... Aang, Katara, Sokka, Suki, and Ty Lee?" Zuko said, looking at all his friends as Sokka grinned like a madman.

"We-" Katara was cut off as a certain Avatar jumped in front of her, a huge grin on his face as he threw his arms in the air.

"We're gonna take care of you!" was all Zuko heard before he slapped his face with his palm as he heard his uncle laughter in the hallway.

* * *

><p>Reviews please!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer:**_

_I do not own ATLA or its characters  
><em>

_**Claimer**:_

_I do own Sayen, Yunru, Taipa, and Achak.  
><em>

_**Summary**_:

__Zuko finds that being Fire Lord wasn't as simple as he thought it would be, well, maybe he knew but didn't get the full picture of it. Aang decides he wants to take his friend out for a vacation, to travel the world. When they go to the North Pole, maybe Zuko finds more than what he bargained for. ZukoxOC__

**_Remember what I state below_****:**

Italics and ' ' Means thinking! The person is talking to themselves, sounds a bit weird, neh? Example: _'Dammit.' _Zuko thought.

_**((**Author Speaking**))**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Two:<strong>_

_Helping  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>It was snowing. The snowflakes fell with such slowness as if you were meant to be memorized by each flake as they descended down towards the ground to create a bed of snow. Oceanic eyes looked up at the gray sky with such softness as she held her hands together. "Father?" was all she could manage to say as amber eyes looked down at her. The man kneeled down to meet her eye to eye and with a small smile on his face his hand had found itself tangled in her soft, straight obsidian hair that reached her small waist. Her eyes asked 'why are you leaving?' in her heart she knew the answer but she just wanted to remember every word her father said. Just to keep it as a mental note.<em>

_"You know why I must leave, Sayen. I am from the Fire Nation and your mother is from the Northern Water tribe. We cannot be together in a world such as this," He said, he pulled her close to embrace her and rubbed her back as he could feel her body tremble of the tears that had yet fallen. "I love you dearly and you will always be my little girl, if this war should end I will come for you. Just be careful of who you talk to and what you do, listen to your mother all the time, you hear?" He pulled her away from him so he could see the honesty in her oceanic eyes as she nodded her head. "You will be strong and wait for me to return, right?" He asked with a large grin on his face, his daughter repeated the same action as he kissed her small forehead before giving her mother one last kiss. "I will come back, Taipa."_

_"I know Yunru." said Taipa as she touched the betrothal necklace he had made for her. It was a purple gem with the insignia of water in the front and fire on the back._

**- x -**

"Sayen?" asked a man. The man had friendly warm face that could get along with just anyone. He had his hand on his stomach as it growled as if there was a tiger seal alive in there.

Slowly, her eyes opened as she sat up rubbing her eyes from the sleep at the corner of them. Her hair was unkempt due to her wild sleeping, "I - I fell asleep during work!" She shouted, disappointed in herself for being for being a horrible waitress.

"Yes but the shift was over. I was wondering if you could cook some Noodle soup and Komodo sausages." He said with a large grin on his face.

Sayen chuckled before nodding her head, "Why of course, Uncle Iroh." And with that said she went down to the kitchen to begin preparing food for one of the most kindest people she met in the Earth Kingdom. Who is Sayen? She's the daughter of Yunru and Taipa, one a Fire Nation soldier and the other the sister of Chief Arnook of the North Pole. Both of them met during a raid in the South pole in which involved Taipa visiting her best friend Yoki and Yoki's husband Bato. Of course, it was Yunru's duty to wipe out all the waterbenders in the South Pole but because Taipa had saved him from getting attacked by a snow leopard, he decided not to kill her because of that. They had grew close, he would frequently visit her whenever he had the chance and he then realized that he loved her but two Nationalities were not meant to be together in the eyes of the Fire Nation and especially to the Water tribe. And so, they kept their relationship a secret until the war had gotten far worse. So far, Sayen knows she can waterbend but she had never tried firebending due to the fear of the destruction she thought she would cause but her parents think that she could only control water seeing that was the only element she could before unconsciously as well as consciously. She had came to the Earth Kingdom, Ba Sing Se, because she felt that she wanted to be away from home. She left when she was only 10 and she had then met Iroh a year later, who would took her in from her previous job as a hotel maid and stayed with him for six years.

When the food was prepared, she had set up the table before serving Iroh his food and pouring some tea into both their cups, "You never told me how you could make these cuisines of all around the word, Sayen." said Iroh as he picked up his chopsticks and decided to eat the Noodle soup since the Komodo sausages were a much heavier part of the meal.

"Well, my father had learned from raiding so many villages but unlike the other Fire Nation soldiers, he was kind." explained Sayen, a smile forming as she spoke about her father endearingly. "He was taught by many people and my mother is just native to her own food and so that is how I know North and South pole cuisine."

"Ah, I see. Do you think you might see your father one day?" Iroh asked as she drank the soup since he had eaten all the noodles. "You never know what the outcome could be since he is a soldier after all."

"We will meet some day regardless if he is dead or alive but I am sure that I will meet him when I go to the Fire Nation one day. Now that the war is over... but I am worried that he might be in the North Pole and I am not there due to the fact I want to be away from home. I love my home but I was just tired of being there, I like travelling!" said the waterbender as she drank her soup as well. Iroh couldn't help but grin at the realism that girl had managed to had. Some girls her age were more optimistic but she had managed to stay in between.

Iroh nodded his head as he dabbed his mouth with a napkin. "When will you go back to the North Pole?" He asked as a mail messenger knocked on the door, "hold that thought." He said as he stood up and went to the door. Sayen watched as he nodded his head and took two scrolls and began reading one, his eyes shift from happiness to surprise and to fear. Of course, she had begun to believe the Fire Lord was in trouble. Making his way back to the table, he had stuffed his mouth with sausages and chewed them rather quickly and without proper etiquette like he usually had. "I am sorry but I must hurry and pack, my nephew is unwell," Iroh said which caused Sayen to stand up from her seat.

"Would you like for me to go along? I could help him with my waterbending." offered the water tribe female, he shook his head and smiled at her.

"No, no. I believe you should go home and see your mother for you have a letter as well." He said, handing it to her as the Water element isnigia was shown. Sayen's eyes narrowed as she opened the scroll and began to read:

_Sayen,_

_You are requested to come back home by your Uncle Chief Arnook's. He wishes to speak to you about a very important manner. I do not know what is it but I am assume that it is for the benefit of the North Pole and something that might be relatively important since involving you. Please, come home even though I understand you do not want to stay here but I would at least like to see my sweet, little girl one again._

_Love,_

_Mother Taipa_

Letting out a small sigh, she looked above the scroll to see Iroh standing there. She smiled at him and nodded her head once before going to back her things as well. As soon as they were both ready to go, they met outside of the Jasmine Dragon and embraced. "I hope Fire Lord Zuko is well and I wish you a safe return, Uncle Iroh." said the obsidian haired female as she felt the older man pat her back.

"And I hope things are well at the North Pole, I want a whole story and some food when we meet up again." He smiled as she giggled and nodded her head before taking her things and heading in the opposite direction to her barge as he had done the same.

**- x -**

"No." Zuko said, looking at all his friends as their enthusiastic smile soon fell into a frown. "If you got mailed to come visit me to convince me to go on a vacation then you all have wasted your time, I'm not shirking away from my responsibilities. I am Fire Lord, I just can't relax when I get sick, my people need me." He said as he put on his robe due to the fact he was wearing loose pants and no shirt, he placed on his slippers as well so his bare-feet could not touch the cold marble floor. Aang and Ty Lee frowned, they looked each other before letting out a long sigh. Katara furrowed her brows and marched her way over to him.

"C'mon Zuko, you can't work hard like that every day, your messing with your health and if you die the Fire Nation is in turmoil!" She said, her arms folded.

Sokka nodded, "Yeah, you don't have a heir and so they will have to do a whole election thing!" He added.

"Also, what if some Crazy or Insane's supporter gets elected if they do what Sokka said? It'll be all your fault because you can't take care of yourself." Toph snorted while looking in Zuko's direction with her blind eyes.

Zuko looked at all four of them with a skeptical look before looking at Aang, Suki, and Ty Lee who nodded in agreement. Iroh even peeped his head in.

"Its true." He said in a "I win" way.

"FINE!" He shouted, causing all of them to grin. "I'll go on this stupid vacation! I guess you guys are right, besides, maybe I will be able to think clearly of all the problems while I'm on vacation."

"No Sparky, the whole point in a vacation is to forget about your problems." A half smile formed on Toph's lips as she heard him grumble.

Aang grinned, "Well, since this is YOUR vacation, where do you wanna go first?" He asked, curious as to where his friend wanted to go.

"And not Ember Island either." Toph added.

Zuko glared at Toph, hissing in his head that she knew he would choose that place due to the fact that it was close to home so he could always sneak off...

"Okay. Well, I want to go to the North Pole." said Zuko, which had made Aang, Katara, and Sokka look at each other with strange expressions.

"Why there?" asked Suki.

Letting out a sigh, he looked at his palms before running his fingers through his hair. "I guess I just want to make things right with them and I know I am not suppose to be working but this is the second more important thing to me." Zuko said.

"Why?" asked Katara as she watched him with observant eyes.

"First off, they blame the Fire Nation for the death of their princess. Even though it was Zhao's fault and I never even tried to make things right with them and not just that I need them to have peace with us to help unite all the nations." He said as he looked down at the floor before looking up at all six of them. "So, is that okay?"

"Fine, Sparky. Just no Fire Nation paperwork and crap like that. Uncle Iroh is taking care of the Fire Nation during your vacation, kay? And it starts today so get your luggage together and we'll be waiting at the docks. And is needles coming along?" Toph said, taking charge of the situation since no one else was.

"No." He quickly said which made everyone look at him with skeptical eyes, "She doesn't really like traveling."

"Really?" Ty Lee mumbled to herself before seeing Zuko's pleading eyes. "Yeah, he has a point." She lied.

Toph grimaced at the lies she just heard but she assumed she would find out later why Zuko wanted Ty Lee to lie for him and not let Mai join the vacation, wasn't he happy in love? Or was that all just an act? "Okay then, get going Sparky. We'll be waiting."

**- x -**

Being at home had brought a lot of memories for Sayen. She remembered playing with her Polar Bear Dog Achak, who she planned on visiting later. Her mother still looked the same except she had very little line of age here and there on her face. When she had reached her home, her mother had greeted her with open arms but she asked or her father, her mother merely shook her head to give her an indication that she had not gotten any word from him but somehow, Sayen knew this would be so. "Are you ready to see your uncle?" asked Taipa, her skyblue eyes glimmering with excitement as she assumed that her daughter might be happy of the news she might hear. Yes, Taipa knew what was in stored for her daughter and she hoped that her little girl would accept it.

"Yeah, I'm ready." Sayen said while heading out her home and walked down the snowy sidewalk. Running her fingers through her hair, she began to grow worried to what her uncle needed her for, she was close to him but he was still one of authority and she had hoped that she hadn't done anything to put her and her mother's life at home in jeporady. When she reached the tall, ice made building her legs began to shake as she tried to calm herself down.

Taipa looked at Sayen with a worried look on her face before placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, "What is the matter?" she asked, wishing her daughter's worries would cease.

"Uhm... I just wondered why Chi- I mean Uncle Arnook wants to see me for." Her fingers began to twitch.

"I am sure it is nothing but good news." And with that said, the guards opened the door and she had watched as all the eyes were on her. Looking at all of them with determined eyes, she walked to the front of the meeting room in which her uncle's throne stood. With her posture of a regal princess, her walk graceful, and her hair flowing behind her smoothly she had walked to her grandfather and then went to her knees and bowed.

Arnook's eyes had widened since it had been sometime since he had last seen his niece, she was nearly a full blown woman. She was slender and curvaceous, tall and poised. Her black hair refused to curl and her blue eyes kept reminding him of the ocean. Her cheeks bones were high but her cheeks round as her lips were full and pouty but small like a young child. "Sayen... You have grown so much. You are no longer the girl I had watched grow but a woman." He began, his eyes showing sadness and Sayen had knew why.

"Hello Uncle. I am glad to see you and be home once more." said the water tribe female as she began to stand, her smile bright and cheerful so she could get rid of the memories of Yue. Everyone always said that she and Yue were similar in height and body frame, they were almost like sisters, almost like twins! But Yue was gone and so some of her still lived on in Sayen but they tried their best not to let that be a sad thing but more of a happy one.

Arnook smiled warmly at her. "I suppose you do not know why you are here, do you?" He asked as he looked at his sister Taipa, who nodded her head to confirm that her daughter did not know.

"No Uncle, I do not know. Can you please inform as to why I am here?" Her voice was soft but had a regal power to it, she grew nervous and started to bite her lip.

"I want you to take over Yue's role as princess of the North Pole, when I die I want you to rule over." He announced, eyes widening as the audience chatted in silence but kept their eyes on the girl who was crowned Princess of the North Pole.

"Why me, Uncle Arnook?" asked Sayen, who was indefinitely surprised, she figured Hahn or someone who was a male would rule over. "I do not think I can hold such a great responsibility, I never knew proper royal etiquette or anything."

"If you stay here, I will teach you. But there is no one else I see for for such a role." His smile didn't waver as he looked at the girl who was almost a opposite replica of his daughter.

Looking around, the seventeen-year-old didn't know how to respond. Did she want this huge responsibility? No but then yes, if she had chose to stay then that had met she would be leaving Iroh and the tea shop but if she were to leave then who would take good care of her home? Wouldn't she shame her family by turning down such a title? Placing her hand over her heart, she did not know what to do and that made tears slip from the corner of her eyes. Arnook and Taipa had grew concerned by this display of emotion but their eyes softened as soon as they saw her oceanic eyes. "I will stay and be princess of the North Pole."

* * *

><p><strong>Other information:<strong>

Yunru - Chinese name meaning "charming seeming"

Taipa - Native American Miwok name meaning "spread wings."

Sayen - Native American Mapuche name meaning "sweet, lovely."

Yoki - Native American Hopi name meaning "rain."

Achak - Native American Algonquin name meaning "spirit."


End file.
